| During the long winter months or on rainy
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| | Place some large empty boxes around the
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| days your child may suffer from cabin
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| | floor for your child to crawl in, on and
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| fever! You know the symptoms: feeling
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| | through. Add more obstacles like a chair,
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| isolated, restless and easily agitated.
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| | step stool, soft pillows, large laundry
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| You feel like screaming - or maybe you do
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| | baskets, etc. This is a terrific activity
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| - and you crave a change of scenery. It's
| |
| | for using stored energy, motor skills and
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| a "fever" every one of us tries to avoid.
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| | imagination.Design a music bandKids make
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| Here are some easy ideas to keep it from
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| | noise, so channel it! Make instruments
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| infecting your tot and to help his
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| | for a marching band. Drums can be made
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| development too:Read, read, read!This is
| |
| | from empty oatmeal boxes, coffee cans or
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| an especially good time to get cozy with
| |
| | a pot and wooden spoon. Cymbals can be
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| your tot, a book and a cup of tea. Sit in
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| | created from lids of different sized pots
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| a chair or by the fireplace. Kids of all
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| | or pans. Cover one side of a block with
|
| ages love to be read to, and the
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| | coarse sandpaper and rub two papered
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| undivided time they share with you brings
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| | blocks together for sand blocks. Rhythm
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| a feeling of comfort. Reading helps pass
| |
| | sticks can be made from two empty paper
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| time and builds your child's language and
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| | towel rolls or old newspaper rolled up
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| concentration skills.Play
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| | and secured with masking tape. Now get
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| gamesTwo-year-olds love to play hide and
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| | out the kazoo. Research says that making
|
| seek and chase games. Three-year-olds can
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| | music is one way to stimulate your tot's
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| begin board games such as Candyland, and
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| | brain development for future math
|
| Chutes and Ladders. Games teach kids how
| |
| | skills.Build blocksBag blocks can be made
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| to take turns, practice patience and how
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| | by filling large grocery bags with
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| to lose or win gracefully. The bonus here
| |
| | crumpled newspaper. Stuff each bag full,
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| is that many academic skills such as
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| | fold over the open end of the bag, and
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| learning colors, shapes and counting are
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| | tape it shut. Make several bag blocks --
|
| also reinforced. Card games like Old Maid
| |
| | the more the better! These are fun for
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| strengthen small hand and finger muscles.
| |
| | jumping or sitting on, tossing and
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| Older kids can play Yahtzee, chess and
| |
| | rolling. Older children can help younger
|
| checkers.Ignite imaginationYoung children
| |
| | siblings make the bag blocks. You've just
|
| love dressing up and pretending. Offer
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| | recycled and your tot has made
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| your tot a basket with old clothing,
| |
| | inexpensive toys.Pretend ocean playFill
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| hats, shoes, jewelry, etc., and it may be
| |
| | your bathtub with blue water (a few drops
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| just the nudge needed for
| |
| | of blue food coloring), throw in floating
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| self-entertainment.Create artworkUse
| |
| | toys and watch your child's imagination
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| crayons, markers, paper, chalk and
| |
| | take off. No, the food coloring does not
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| chalkboard to get those creative juices
| |
| | turn your little munchkin into a blue
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| flowing. For toddlers, avoid coloring
| |
| | genie, nor does it stain the tub. Since
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| books and demands to "Color inside the
| |
| | kids love water, maybe you can persuade
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| lines." Instead encourage creative
| |
| | your little one to take off his clothes
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| drawings. Phrases like "Tell me about
| |
| | and jump in. This is a sneaky way to get
|
| your picture," and "You are using red to
| |
| | 'em clean. When my girls were toddlers
|
| color" build your tot's self-esteem. Be
| |
| | and I wanted them to take a bath, there
|
| sure to display that fantastic Picasso on
| |
| | would often be an argument. To avoid the
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| the refrigerator at your child's eye
| |
| | debate, I diverted their attention with,
|
| level.Make playdoughThis simple recipe
| |
| | "Do you want your water pink or
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| requires little time and can really beat
| |
| | blue?"Enjoy snow playIf there's snow, go
|
| boredom. First gather: 2 cups flour, 1
| |
| | outdoors and build a snowman, woman,
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| cup salt, 1 tablespoon alum, 2 cups
| |
| | child or fort. Take your camera and
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| boiling water, 2 tablespoons oil, food
| |
| | capture the memories. Then go indoors for
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| coloring and fragrance oil (the last two
| |
| | a warm cup of cocoa and a foot rub or a
|
| are optional). Next, mix together the
| |
| | book! Since the season of parenting is so
|
| flour, salt and alum. Carefully stir in
| |
| | short, make a photo album or scrapbook
|
| the boiling water, and if using, a few
| |
| | your snow memories.Always make sure toys
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| drops each of the food coloring and
| |
| | and books are in low places where
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| fragrance oil. Encourage your child to
| |
| | youngsters can easily reach them without
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| use a spoon to stir this mixture; you
| |
| | coming to you for assistance. This builds
|
| must give constant supervision. Add 2
| |
| | their independence and self-esteem.If
|
| tablespoons oil. Mix dough together, and
| |
| | your child is playing quietly, or least
|
| when cool to the touch, knead until
| |
| | contentedly, don't interrupt. I practice
|
| smooth. The warm, soft dough is
| |
| | the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"
|
| therapeutic to frazzled nerves and
| |
| | philosophy in parenting. But when cabin
|
| strengthens a youngster's fine motor
| |
| | fever does get to your child, remember
|
| skills. Store in an airtight container
| |
| | it's only temporary. Be prepared to offer
|
| and this playdough will remain soft for
| |
| | a couple of activities, giving your child
|
| months.Cut up with cataloguesUse old
| |
| | freedom to choose.Just as you gain
|
| mail-order catalogues or magazines to cut
| |
| | confidence through knowledge and
|
| out pictures of people, pets, trees, etc.
| |
| | experience, so does your child. With the
|
| To develop cognitive (thinking) skills,
| |
| | new ideas you suggest, your child learns
|
| encourage your child to search for
| |
| | what to do for self-entertainment. With
|
| pictures of the same color, season, etc.
| |
| | practice, he becomes more confident in
|
| Your little one needs practice at using
| |
| | himself.Even when your child is older,
|
| scissors because it builds strong hand
| |
| | come back and read this article again. It
|
| muscles. Be sure to supervise, though, or
| |
| | will refresh your cabin fever expertise.
|
| you may have newly designed curtains!Plan
| |
| | Best wishes for warm and safe days
|
| play groupsOne way to model hospitality
| |
| | ahead!(c)copyright, Brenda Nixon.Brenda
|
| is to plan visits to other people's homes
| |
| | Nixon, M.A. ( is a speaker, writer and
|
| or to invite a playmate to your home for
| |
| | educator dedicated to building strong
|
| short visits. Remember, toddlers need
| |
| | families through parent empowerment. She
|
| lots of supervision and duplicates of
| |
| | is the author of Parenting Power in the
|
| toys to avoid fighting. Children older
| |
| | Early Years on raising a child from birth
|
| than three years can play together with a
| |
| | to age five, a columnist, contributing
|
| little less competition, but stay close
| |
| | author to 18 books, and a fun, popular
|
| by in case you are needed as a
| |
| | speaker to parents and childcare
|
| peacemaker.Assemble an obstacle
| |
| | professionals.
|
| courseKids and empty boxes go together.
| |
| |
|
